


Houses and Homes

by lizandletdie



Series: The Adoption!verse [11]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-28
Updated: 2014-10-28
Packaged: 2018-02-23 00:29:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2527271
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizandletdie/pseuds/lizandletdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As her pregnancy progresses, Belle becomes self-conscious about her changing body.  Her husband is there to try to comfort her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Houses and Homes

**Author's Note:**

> I hate that I have to do this, but apparently I do. If you're reading this fic anywhere besides AO3, it was posted without my consent and likely profited someone else. Please consider [donating](https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_donations&business=CZNGXGNP4PRX4&lc=US&item_name=The%20Mantis%20Fund&currency_code=USD&bn=PP%2dDonationsBF%3abtn_donate_SM%2egif%3aNonHosted) or swinging by my Tumblr (standbyyourmantis) to let me know what you thought!

"I’m a house!" Belle complained, examining her body in the full length mirror of the bedroom.

Arthur froze with his hands still on the lapels of his jacket as though she wouldn’t be able to see him if he didn’t move.  They had been preparing for bed when she started in on this.  It wasn’t the first time since she’d begun showing that he’d heard this refrain, and it wouldn’t be the last.  Half of him wanted to explain that she was seven months pregnant honestly what did she expect? and the other half wanted to live to see the morning.

He realized he’d been silent too long when she turned to look at him.

"No you’re not," he blurted out, coming around to hug her, but she shrugged him off.  

"Then why didn’t you disagree with me?" she challenged him.

Yeah, he really should have answered her sooner.

"I’m sorry, darling," he apologized.  "It’s just…you say this every day almost.  I’m not sure how many more ways there are to say that you’re beautiful."

And then she burst into tears.  He was just botching every which way he could tonight.  He tried to wrap his arms around her again to offer comfort, but instead she stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

"Belle," he called through the wood.  "Sweetheart, I’m sorry."

No answer.

"I just don’t know what to say when you put yourself down," he admitted.  "You  _know_  I think you’re beautiful.  You’re honestly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

Still no answer, but she did slam her hand on the door to register her disapproval.

"Yes you’ve gained some weight," he decided to risk it.  She was already mad at him, what did he have to lose?  "But sweetheart, you’re  _pregnant._   With our daughter.  Honestly, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life.”

He paused for a moment to see if she would answer him before he continued.

"Honey?  Will you please come out of the bathroom so we can talk about this?"

She didn’t come out, but he heard a click that meant she’d unlocked the door at least, so with no small amount of trepidation he turned the knob and let himself in.  She was standing by the vanity with a roll of toilet paper on the counter next to her that she was pulling pieces off of to dab her eyes.

"I’m sorry, darling," he said earnestly.  He really hadn’t wanted to make her cry.

"It’s fine," she said softly, crossing her arm around herself.

"No it’s not.  I made you cry."

He wanted desperately to hug her but didn’t want to push her when she didn’t want him.  He was such an asshole.

"I cry at everything," she sniffled, blowing her nose into a piece of toilet paper.

He ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath.  This was going to require all his skill with words and he wasn’t sure he had it in him.

"Belle, I’m going to ask you something and you are free to tell me to go to hell, okay?" He took a deep breath and waited for her to look at him before he continued.  "What exactly makes you so self-conscious about this?"

"Everything about me is changing," she said so softly he thought he may have misheard her.  "I’ve never been so big before and now there are stretchmarks and my breasts are changing and it just…I don’t feel like this is my body anymore.  And I feel guilty because you married me and now…"

Well, he’d heard quite enough of  _that —_ Arthur immediately engulfed her in a hug and buried his face in her hair.

"Oh sweetheart, I can’t do anything about he rest of it," he whispered into her ear.  "But if you think I’m going to stand there and let you think I don’t find you beautiful then you don’t know me very well."

He pulled back a little bit to kiss her forehead and she buried her face against his neck afterward.

"Belle," he said to the top of her head.  "You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen — you are  _currently_  the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.  Do you think I’ve forgotten that you’re carrying  _my_ child?  Or that you’re Bae’s mother?  Or that you pulled me through some of the darkest times of my life?”

She shook her head where it rested on his shoulder.

"You’re my sunshine, Belle," he said before he kissed her temple.  "You’re my salvation and my strength.  You’re the mother of both my children.  If you think that stretch marks and wibbly bits changes any of that for me then I don’t know what to say except that I’m sorry I didn’t do a good enough job of loving you."

"No," she protested.  "I’m sorry.  It’s not your fault I’m being irrational."

"If you feel it then it’s not irrational," he replied.  "If you were in a disfiguring car accident I’d still want you, but objectively you’re still beautiful."

"I don’t need to be beautiful," she said shyly.  "I just need you."

"Come here," he said softly, turning her to face the vanity and its mirror.  "Do you know what I see when I look at you?"

She shook her head, but she was smiling a little bit and he was willing to go with this as long as she’d let him.

"I see a woman who could definitely have done better than me," he began, winking at her and smiling when she let out a noise that was half sob and half giggle.  He ran his hands up from her hips to the — admittedly shallower — dip of her waist and then the rather larger swell of her breasts.  "You are beautiful, Belle.  Yes, your body is changing, but it’s still yours and it’s still desirable.  Your body is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing to keep our daughter safe while she grows.  How could I ever think that was anything but beautiful?"

He lowered her head and kissed her neck gently, smiling as she reached up to cup the back of his head and rub her fingers through his hair.

"You’re too good to me," she said softly.  "I have no idea what I ever did to deserve you."

"I am short and bony and too old for you and I walk with a limp," he said casually.  "And yet you want me.  The prettiest girl I’d ever laid eyes on agreed to marry me and have my child and now she worries that I won’t want her.  If anything, my dear, I don’t deserve you.  But I am very willing to do what I can to make up that lack."

He pressed his teeth into her neck just enough to make her squeak and meet his eyes in the mirror.

He wasn’t sure whether it was the raw lust at his proposition or the simple love he saw in her face that had his breath coming short, but either way he promised himself that there was no way Belle was ever going to doubt that he found her attractive ever again (and if that meant he spent the next two months making love to her nightly, well, who was he to complain?).


End file.
